Mowing-machine



(Model.) 2 ShestsSheet 1.

' I. E. MERRITT.

Mowing Machine.

No. 233,426. Patented Oct. 19,1880.

Mammup .Immun s Witnesses Inventor yamm.

ILPEI'ERG, FHOTD-LITHOGHAPMER, WASHINGTON D C (Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 2.

I E MERRITT Mowing Machine.

No. 233,426.4 Patented Oct. 19,1880.

N.FETERS, PHOTO-UYHOGRAFNER. WASHINGTON D C 'UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ISAAC E. VIERRITL OF LOCKPORT., NEW YORK.

MOWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,426, dated October 19, 1880,

Application ledlJune 3, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac E. MERRITT, of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MoWing-Machines and I do hereby declare that the following de'- scription of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to ma'ke and use the same.

This invention has general referenceu to mowing-machines; and it consists, essentially, in the novel combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustratemysaid invention more fully, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved mowingmachine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation in line a: .r of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, one wheel of' the machine being removed. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the shoe and push -bar. Fig. 5 is a section in line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the mechanism actuating the pivoted end of the connecting-bar.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all the gures.

The object of mypresent invention is the production of a mower possessing the following peculiarities and advantages, viz: First, a ground-wheel capable of bei-ng adj usted with reference to the height of cutting without removing a single bolt or screw, and without stopping the machine for a single moment; second, a knife-bar that can be rocked on a longitudinal axis and raised and lowered on either the inner or outer end by the operator of the machine while going over the field. To attain these, as well as other important results hereinafter more fully set forth, I construct my mower, essentially, of a frame or platform, A, having across its rear end the usual axle, B, serving as a means of locomotion, in conjunction with a pair of wheels, C C', and to give motion to the usual cutter-bar (not shown) by means of suitable gearing inclosed in the dust-boxesD D', operating upon a shaft, E, having on its forward end a crankdisk,y F, provided with a pitman, H, connected to said crank-disk at G in the usual manner to vibrate the knife -bar when the machine is moving in a forward direction.

The front end of the platform A terminates in a lug, A', within which revolves a shaft, I, of the chain-wheel I', said shaft being provided with a universal joint, J, on the end opposite the chain-wheel I'. This latter wheel is connected with another chain-wheel, K, by means of an endless belt, L, said chain-wheel K being operated by means of a lever, M, having a catch, m, engaging a notched segment, N, secured to or formed in one piece with said platform A.

With the universal joint J is connected a curved rod or shaft,O,passing through a casin g, P, into, and forming the axle for, the groundwheel Q. This casing P consists of a dished plate having a curved slot, a, the dished part of said casing being occupied by a cam-plate, R, Fig. 5, having a hollow boss, R', serving as a bearing for the shaft O. Upon the end of said shaft O is placed a sleeve, O', upon which revolves the ground-wheel Q, there being formed ou the end of said shaft O an angular section, upon which is placed a washer, O", having a square aperture, so as to prevent the nut 0"', holding the sleeve and washer to the axle, from working loose. The boss R' on the plate R is placed out ot' the center of said plate a distance corresponding with the semicircular aperture a in the dished plate P, so that by revolving said shaft O it is made to also revolve the plate R, and thereby to move in the curved slot a up or down, the object of which will hereinafter be mentioned.

0n the lower side of the platform A is provided Ia bracket, S', Fig. 3, to which is pivoted a pushbar, T, the forward end of which is pivoted to a collar or box, T', having two lugs, b b', through which the bolt c, Fig. 4, passes. Gne of these lugs, b', is formed into an arm, b", which is connected with a sector, d, Fig. 1, by mIeans of a chain, e. On the under side of the box T' is provided a cam, f, acting upon the shoe V in a manner farther on speciiied.

The box T' is placed around near the forward end of a curved connecting-bar, U, the extremity of which is downwardly bent at U' to connect with two lugs, g g', on the shoe V.

IOO

The opposite extremity of this connecting-bar is pivoted to a double eye or fork, h, Figs. 3

and 6, on the lower end or short arm of a lever,

X, pivoted in a slot in the platform A. The 5 upper end of this lever is provided with a slot,

t', in which engages the pivot t" of a connecting-rod, j, the opposite end of which rod connects with a foot -lever or treadle, Y, pivoted to the platform A in any suitable manner. The relative position ofthe pivots of this lever Y, the lever X, and the connectingrod j is such that when said lever Y is depressed, as shown in Fig. 6, the connecting-rod will, with 4 point of connection with said lever, be below a line drawn from the pivot i' to the pivot i" or fulcrum of said lever, whereby the lever cannot be lifted upward by any endwise pressure brought to bear upon it by said connecting-rod until it is lifted by the operator sufficiently to bring said point above said line. In this manner the treadlc is positively locked when depressed. Other devices or mechanism may, however, be provided for locking said treadle without Vchanging the nature of my invention.

As hereinbefore described, the lever b" on the box around the connecting-bar U is connected with the chain -pulley d by a chain, e. This chain-pulley is xed to or formed in one piece with a ratchet-wheel, Z, to which, in turn, is affixed a hand-lever, Z', by means of which said ratchet-wheel is operated.

To the frame A is pivoted a pawl, Z", the forward end or catch, n, of which engages the 35 teeth of said ratchet-wheel, so as to retain the latter in any desired position. By means of this hand-lever Z the lever b" on the box T' is raised or lowered by the mechanism described, and this raising and lowering of said 4o lever has the effect of oscillating the box T on the connecting bar U, and, by means of the camf, of depressing that end of the shoe V directly underneath said cam, and thereby to lift the outer end of the flngerbar B.

On the forward end of the shoe V is provided a perforated lug, V', through which is passed the tapering shank R" on the casing P, (see Fig. 5,) thereby forming a journal for said casing` to oscillate upon.

The construction of the shoe V, as well as that of the knife and linger bars, knifebar head, and its connection with the connectingrod H, does not differ materially from that of other machines, and I therefore do not deem it necessary to enter into a detailed description thereof.

In operation, suppose it to be desired to raise 0r lower the cutting and linger bars for a close or a high cut, or for raising in passing over very loose soil, where the cutting needs to be done high to prevent the stalks being pulled up, or in going from clover-fields to cutting barley, which latter, also, should be cut high, nothing need be done but to actuate the le- 65 ver M in the proper direction. This willcause the chain-wheels K and 1' to partly revolve,

and by also revolving the shaft O and turning the disk R in the casing P to raise or lower the shoe V with the nger and knife bars. Again, supposing it to be desired to pass an obstruction near the machine or on the inner side of the finger-bar. In this case the handle Z' is actuated so as to raise the shoe V b v the lever b" and cam f, acting upon said shoe, while to raise thc outer end of the linger-bar the foot-lever Y is depressed. Thislatter operation will throw the leverX forward and the connecting-bar at its fulcrum ath rearward. This connecting-bar U, being curved somewhat like the letter S, is in itself alever, so that by 8o throwing said lever X rearward said connecting-bar will slightly revolve within the box T', and thus tilt upward the outer end of the iinger-bar, the inner end not being lifted on account of the shoe V remaining in its original position. When the connecting-bar is thus thrown backward at h the entire linger-bar may, however, be lifted from the ground by actuating the handle Z' in the proper direction to pull the'shoe up by the chain e.

To carry the nger and knife bars to and from the field, the outer ends of the said bars are lifted up around their fulcrum, (the bolt passing through the lugs g g' on the shoe V,) and turned over to rest either on the pole A' 95 or upon any other proper support. (Not shown.)

It is a fact that when the foot-leverY is depressed and the lever X thereby thrown forward, the points of the fingers go down and the rear side of the finger-bar up, so that in roo backing, said linger-bar will readily pass over the ground and over obstructions without fear of being caught. It is further a fact that in this machine the ground-wheel Qalways rests upon the ground, even when the points of the fingers are raised, which is not the case in any other machine with which I am acquainted.

So may the points of the fingers be raised by the action of the foot-lever and its accessories, and yet carry the saidlinger-bar upon both 11o the driving and grain wheel, (not shown,) a feature which, in going over mowed ground, and for other obvious reasons, is very desirable, since the finger-bar need not be raised entirely olf the ground.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patentof the United States- 1. In a mowing-machiue,the devices for raising and lowering the finger-bar consisting of 12o the shoe V, casing P, eccentric It, groundwheel Q, rod O, and mechanism for rotating said rod, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mowing-machine, the combination, with the slotted casing P, of the eccentric R, rod O, ground-wheel Q, universal joint J, wheels l' and K, and band L, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the shoe V, having the lug V', of the pivoted casing P, having 13o the curved slot a, the eccentric disk R, provided with perforated boss R', the shaft O,

rod J, and foot-lever Y, for oscillating said connecting-bar, as specified, the parts being constructed and arranged, in relation to one another, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC E. MERRITT.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK HIRSGH. 

